1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shut-off valve, and more particularly, a mechanical emergency liquid shut-off device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for liquid shut-off devices have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,827, Issued on Jan. 10, 1956, to Morita teaches a flush tank having a drain pipe leading to a toilet bowl, a semi-automatic valve mounted in the tank and manually activated into an open position, and a second semi-automatic valve also mounted in the tank and manually actuated into a closed position, the drain pipe including a common valve seat for both valves, the valves being selectively moved into a closed coaxial position with each other for alternately closing the drain pipe, and independent actuating means for the valve to selectively open one valve and close the other valve.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,846, Issued on May 8, 1979, to Waterback teaches a detector for liquid media that has a swelling body which in the presence of the liquid expands to break open an ampule of electrolyte solution under pressure, enclosed in a rubber sheath together with a dry-charged galvanic element. The electrolyte enters the galvanic element, which starts producing electric current, thereby signalling presence of liquid.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,710, Issued on May 3, 1983, to Waterback teaches a moisture actuated trigger device comprising a housing; a moisture absorbing swelling body in the housing, one end of the body engaging a stationary wall of the housing and the opposite end engaging an end wall of a sleeve slidable within the housing upon expansion of the swelling body; an elongated plunger member in the housing movable between a first, stand-by position and a second, released position; latch means detachably engaging the plunger member for holding in its first, stand-by position; a spring means biasing the plunger member in a direction towards its released position, cam means on the sleeve for disengaging the latch means from the plunger member thereby enabling the latter to rapidly move from its first, stand-by position to its released position; and a shock wave initiating means located in the path of the plunger member and adapted to initiate a shock wave when struck by the plunger member.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,093, Issued on Sep. 6, 1983, to Luker et al. teaches an emergency valve unit which can be sold as a kit and which can be easily and quickly installed into typical, commercially-available toilets to prevent the bowl of the toilet from overflowing during the flushing thereof. The valve unit has a relatively thin, flat housing which is positioned between the water tank and the stool section of the toilet and is held there by the seam bolts that normally secure the tank to the stool. The housing has an opening therethrough which aligns with and forms a portion of the fluid passage between the tank and the stool. A valve element is slidably mounted in the housing and is manually movable to open or close the opening by means of a rod which extends from the housing. If at any time it appears that the toilet bowl is ready to overflow during a flushing operation, the rod can be pulled to close the valve unit thereby shutting off the flow of water from the tank to the bowl. Once the waste outlet of the bowl has been cleared, the rod is pushed to open the valve unit and routine operation of the toilet is resumed.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,534, Issued on Jan. 6, 1987, to Hardman teaches a universal shut-off device for stopping the flow of water from a toilet tank to a toilet bowl during the flushing of the toilet. The device is mountable on toilet tanks having a handle on either the right-hand side or the left hand-side of the tank. The device has a stop handle accessible from the exterior of the toilet tank. If the plumbing is partially or completely plugged up and the toilet bowl begins to overflow during flushing, the flow of water into the bowl can immediately be shut off during the flushing operation. This is carried out by turning a stop handle which causes the tank ball to move against the valve seat and stop the flow of water from the toilet tank to the toilet bowl. A bendable and ductile operator arm is shaped by the user to push against the tank ball.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,319, Issued on Sep. 29, 1987, to Gant teaches a moisture-actuated apparatus for controlling the flow of water by expandingly absorbing moisture from and contractingly emitting moisture into a moisture-conducting medium. The actuation is binary, with one state resulting from the expansion of an actuating element when it absorbs moisture from a water-conducting medium having a higher concentration of moisture than the element. The second state results from the contraction of the actuating element when the medium contains a lower concentration of moisture than the element, causing the element to emit moisture into the medium. The actuating element includes a thirotropic hydrophilic expandite material disposed in a matrix of wicking material. In one embodiment the absorptive expansion is used to provide a high-moisture signal in the same embodiment, contraction of the element produces a low moisture signal for opening the valve. In other embodiments, the expansion and contraction of the actuating element is used to directly actuate a valve.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,519, Issued on May 9, 2000, to Quintana teaches a flow control device for a toilet to prevent flooding upon obstructing of a waste outlet of a toilet bowl. The device includes a sensor assembly mounted on a clip held over a rim of the toilet bowl so as to hold the sensor assembly in a predetermined position within the toilet bowl. The clip may include adjustable elements thereon to enable the height of the sensor assembly to be adjusted, depending on the size and type of toilet in which it is affixed. If water bridges contacts on the sensor assembly, an electrical circuit is completed, and a solenoid is actuated to close a normally opened valve to shut off running water to the water tank of the toilet. The present invention is an easily-added-on, simplified device for use with a toilet bowl to prevent flooding, if the waste outlet of the toilet bowl is blocked for any reason.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,203, Issued on Aug. 24, 2004, to Quillen teaches an emergency toilet shutoff assembly for shutting off flow of water into the tank of a toilet. The emergency toilet shutoff assembly includes a toilet assembly including a tank having side walls, and also including a float support member being disposed in the tank, and further including a float member being supported upon the float support member, and also including a pair of water conduits being disposed in the tank for filling the tank with water; and also includes a valve assembly being connected to the water conduits for shutting off flow of water into the tank
A NINTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,752, Issued on Jan. 2, 2007, to Feda teaches a control mechanism for preventing overflow of a toilet including a bowl, a water tank, and a filler float operatively communicating with a filler valve includes a knob or handle that can be manipulated to cause the filler float to occupy a position that shuts off the filler valve. The control mechanism includes a filler float guide member having a low guide section separated from a high guide section by a ramped section. By manipulating the knob or handle of the control mechanism, the filler float is forced up the ramp section to the high guide section, shutting off the filler valve.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for liquid shut-off devices have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.